Small fire at Oakland International Airport damages terminal, transient arrested

OAKLAND -- A small fire at Oakland International Airport damaged a wall early Friday morning, and authorities say a transient is suspected of sparking it.

Alameda County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested the man on suspicion of arson after the one-alarm blaze, which began around 3:30 a.m. in the baggage claim area of Terminal 1, Sheriff's Office Sgt. R. Nobriga said.

When deputies arrived, they made contact with the homeless man and saw that his clothes were singed, Nobriga said. Further questioning led to his arrest. Nobriga said the man tried to leave on a bus before he was detained by deputies.

The fire left a burn mark on a wall of the terminal, but didn't damage any of the carousels or tile, airport spokesman Brian Kidd said. Nobody was injured, and flight schedules were not interrupted.

The fire broke out at a time when the terminal was relatively empty and never spread, burning out quickly, Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Erik Logan said.

"The blaze was actually out by the time firefighters arrived," Logan said. "Essentially, it was a trash can fire, with some cardboard. It was completely out by the time we got there, and we just used a little bit of water to cool it."

The man suspected of starting the fire was not identified immediately. He was taken to Santa Rita Jail, Nobriga said.